Fair Use Note

WARNING for European visitors: European Union laws require you to give European Union visitors information about cookies used on your blog. In many cases, these laws also require you to obtain consent. As a courtesy, we have added a notice on your blog to explain Google's use of certain Blogger and Google cookies, including use of Google Analytics and AdSense cookies. You are responsible for confirming this notice actually works for your blog, and that it displays. If you employ other cookies, for example by adding third party features, this notice may not work for you. Learn more about this notice and your responsibilities.

Friday, July 14, 2017

14 July - Blogs I'm Following 2 of 2

The third day after Mosul was declared liberated major fighting was finally coming to an end. There were some scattered clashesgoing on in the Old City, which wounded 2 soldiers, but didn’t seem as serious as previous days. Otherwise, the Iraqi forces (ISF) freed a Yazidi family that had been held hostage by the Islamic State in the Old City’s Maidan neighborhood. Four IS members were killedtrying to escape across the Tigris River. On the other hand, IS cells were still operating in other parts of the city. A suicide bomber was shot in a market in the west. Five suicide bombers inf...more »

*Reuters:* *Two Israeli policemen shot dead near Jerusalem holy site, gunmen killed* JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Three Arab-Israeli gunmen shot dead two Israeli policemen near one of Jerusalem's most holy places on Friday and were then killed by security forces, police said. It was one of the most serious attacks in years so close to the volatile holy site, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount. Israeli authorities shut the area to Muslims gathering for Friday prayers, prompting anger among Palestinian religious leaders. The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Moha...more »

*Reuters:* *Iraq faces pockets of Islamic State resistance in Mosul's Old City* MOSUL/TIKRIT, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi forces hit further pockets of resistance from Islamic State militants in Mosul's Old City on Friday, four days after the prime minister declared victory. Army helicopters flew overhead and explosions could be heard, residents said. "Three mortars landed on our district," a resident of Faysaliya, just across the Tigris river in east Mosul, said by telephone. The U.S.-led coalition backing the Iraqi military campaign said it had conducted two air strikes in the Mosu...more »

Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, provides command and control of air power throughout Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and other nations in the U.S. Air Forces Central Command region. The CAOC comprises joint and Coalition teams that execute day-to-day combined air and space operations and provide rapid reaction, positive control, coordination, and deconfliction of weapon systems. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Alexander W. Riedel) *Tampa Bay Times:* *U.S. threads needle of politics to run air war against ISIS from base in Qatar* From his office on ...more »

*I haz it.* And I bet most of the country does, too. Every week it's some over-hyped group or another protesting, marching, and just generally making pests of themselves. The Ladies Who March™ will be out today disrupting the lives of working Americans by snarling traffic from Virginia to DC. And how about the latest outrage over the congressional dress code? It seems Nancy Pelosi is all up in arms about having to cover the aforementioned arms. And somehow it's all Paul Ryan's fault. Did we elect these clowns to go to DC and argue about the clothes the women are wearing? I a...more »

In disregarding the legal sacrosanct nature of embassy property, Barack Obama could have set a dangerous extra-legal precedent that could be used by Britain to violate Ecuador's sovereignty which is right now all that stands between Julian Assange and peril. The post Obama’s seizure of Russian Embassy property could put Julian Assange in danger appeared first on The Duran.

It is logically incongruous to blast Ivanka Trump sitting in for the US President because the President is her father while praising Hillary Clinton who never held an elected office or Federal position prior to her husband becoming POTUS. The post MSM blasts Ivanka Trump for the same reasons they praise Hillary Clinton appeared first on The Duran.

*FRIDAY, JULY 14, 2017Part 4—The AP composes a transcript:* In Jim Sheridan's autobiographical film, In America, a young Irish immigrant father is losing his soul in the wake of the death of his son. The father can't escape or regulate his grief. At one point, he describes the sweep of his losses. A neighbor chastises him for the way he's failing himself and his two darling daughters. "You don't *believe*," the neighbor says. The father responds as follows: In what? God? You know, I asked him a favor. I asked him to take me instead of him—and he took the both of us! And look ...more »

*Sarah Abed is writing a three part series analyzing the roles some Kurdish fighters have played in destabilizing the region- OJD left the link to her first part and Sarah was kind enough to stop by and share some thoughts.* *Our exchange is below: * *Sarah AbedJuly 12, 2017 at 1:04 AM* *Penny, I hear you dear... the mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion that is involved in this thankless service that we provide, can be overwhelming more often than not. Thank you OJD for linking my article and site. I greatly appreciate it. Penny, I can pretty much predict at this ...more »

*Gordon G. Chang* *Politics, Asia* [image: A protester holds an image of jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo outside the Chinese Embassy in Oslo, Norway December 9, 2010. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo] Beijing did not have the decency to let him go free in his final hours. A prisoner of conscience died this week in the hands of a regime that has no conscience. Liu Xiaobo was sixty-one. He passed away Thursday in the Chinese city of Shenyang. The city’s Bureau of Justice said the cause was “multiple organ failure.” Liu was, by all accounts, China’s most well-known dissident. He was ja...more »

Courtesy of NBC News: *The Russian lawyer who met with the Trump team after a promise of compromising material on Hillary Clinton was accompanied by a Russian-American lobbyist — a former Soviet counter intelligence officer who is suspected by some U.S. officials of having ongoing ties to Russian intelligence, NBC News has learned. * *NBC News is not naming the lobbyist, who denies any current ties to Russian spy agencies. He accompanied the lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, to the June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower attended by Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort. * *T...more »

Different journals follow different editorial policies — but we’ve never seen any charge money to authors who want to appeal an editorial decision. Until now. Recently, a criminal justice researcher sent us links to multiple journals that charge appeal fees. For instance, the Journal of Accounting Research says authors must pay $500 for each submission — […] The post Want to appeal a journal’s rejection? Sure — that’ll be $700 appeared first on Retraction Watch.

The truth has been spoken in the halls of Congress where the green frog skin (dollar bill) is worshiped by those who carry water for the corporate interests. Native Americans said that when the white people came to this continent they noticed that they were blinded by their love for the green frog skin. They could not see beyond their paper money and recognize their relationship with nature. Thus early on the Indians knew that the white folks would destroy the water, the land, the air and they tried to warn the invaders but they were far too busy 'making *$$$*' to listen. So to...more »

A Good Ole Pair of Bellicose Bipartisan Bros At a folksy gala held at his Dallas shrine on Thursday, George W. Bush told Bill Clinton and a group of military, business and civic leaders that the most important quality America's chief executive can possess is humility. Whereupon he bragged that his friendship with Clinton was "one of the most unique relationships and important relationships in US political history." That'll sure teach Donald Trump, the obvious target of the virtue-signalling. Were it not for Bush having been so blessedly meek, the invasion of Iraq and the subsequen...more »

I don't believe Donald Trump can possibly be impeached until after a Democratic takeover of the House in the midterms, assuming that happens. I'm not sure it can happen even then, and in any case I don't think he can be convicted in a Republican Senate. I know there are those who disagree. -- they believe that there'll be a tipping point when the congressional GOP decides it's had enough of Trump. And I know that some people think Trump will become frustrated and quit early, though I believe he'll never give up the king-of-the-hill satisfaction of being president, even if he's miser...more »

If you have an opinion about pitbulls, chances are good that it's based on myth, misinformation, and even disinformation. I know a good deal about dogs, and I *thought* I knew a lot about pitbulls, yet I was constantly amazed and enlightened by Bronwen Dickey's *Pit Bull: The Battle Over an American Icon*. Here are some of the things you will learn if you read this book. There is no agreement on what a pitbull *is*. No one can correctly identify a dog's breed-mix based on the dog's appearance, including experts. Many or most media stories about pitbulls are based on uncorroborated...more »

*Reuters:* *'Get used to it' China says as it flies bombers near Japan* BEIJING (Reuters) - China told Japan on Friday to "get used to it" after it flew six warplanes over the Miyako Strait between two southern Japanese islands in a military exercise. Japan's defense ministry issued a statement late on Thursday describing the flyover by the formation of Xian H-6 bombers earlier that day as "unusual", while noting that there had been no violation of Japanese airspace. The Chinese navy and air force have in recent months carried out a series of exercises in the Western Pacific, as t...more »

*Bloomberg:* *Here’s the White House’s Transcript of What Trump Told Reporters Off the Record* * Trump spoke to reporters on his way to Paris to meet Macron * White House later released excerpts of president’s remarks President Donald Trump spoke to reporters off the record Wednesday aboard Air Force One on his way to Paris to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron and participate in Bastille Day festivities. In an unusual episode, the White House on Thursday released its transcript of some of his comments, after Trump asked a reporter in Paris why she hadn’t reported on what h...more »

I was asked this question by a friend asking on behalf of someone else and thought the answer might be useful here. *Question*: An employee has become involved with multiple abusive men, who then end up calling the office and harassing or verbally abusing other employees. The latest was a call where he threatened to beat up the boss. They want to know if they can fire her. They’re in Texas, which doesn’t have a law protecting domestic violence victims from firing, but I wonder what the right way would be to handle this if they did. And can they legally tell her that while they're ...more »

On the Right, support for Donald Trump is beginning to falter. When news of Junior's emails surfaced, David French penned an op-ed in *The National Review*. What matters, French wrote, is that Junior *tried* to collude with the Russians: Let’s define our terms. The word “collusion” doesn’t have precise legal meaning. It’s largely a political term that refers to claims and allegations that the Trump team worked in some way with Russians as part of the alleged Russian effort to elect Trump. In other words, to claim that Trump officials colluded with Russians is not the same thing as...more »

A signed editorial yesterday in "Global Times," an English-language newspaper owned by China's "People's Daily," said, "Trump's team, despite a constant stream of negative news, is gradually consolidating its grip on power. Constant stories about his Russia connections are beginning to sound like background noise." In fact, the arrogance, the brashness and the loudness of these British-steered Russia-gate stories are in inverse proportion—not only to their truthfulness, but to their plunging credibility among the American people. Americans recognize the truth of what Russia expe...more »

World Land-Bridge The Basement New International Economic Order American Credit System Video of 31JU2YK49FM The "Summer of Hell" now afflicting New York City comes not from decades of overdue maintenance, but from decades of having no future plan for the next level of infrastructure! Just as Africa must develop by leaps, rather than through "appropriate technologies," NYC must be developed in the international context of bridging the Bering Strait, a national high-speed rail network, and using the highest technologies, such as nuclear fusion and maglev trains, to lay the basis for a...more »

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu climbs out of the submarine Rahav in Haifa. Photograph: Baz Ratner/Reuters *Defense News*:* Israel-Germany submarine deal in jeopardy amid widening scandal* TEL AVIV, Israel — A widening scandal in Israel over a slew of suspected criminal offenses is likely to torpedo a €1.2 billion (U.S. $1.4 billion) submarine deal between Israel and Germany, as a former Israeli Navy commander and the personal attorney of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are the latest to be caught up in an ongoing probe. Vice Adm. Eliezer Marom, who commanded the Navy from 2007-20...more »

Chinese sailors on top of a submarine during the fleet's review of the China-Russia joint naval exercise in the Yellow Sea April 26, 2012. REUTERS/China Daily *South China Morning Post:* *Scientists used abacuses to develop China’s first nuclear submarine* *Sound of beads rattling on bamboo frames could be heard from dusk till dawn, says retired project chief* China’s first nuclear submarine was developed with the aid of an abacus, according to the scientist who led the project in the late 1950s. Now 93, Huang Xuhua, chief designer of the Long March-1, said he still owns one of t...more »

Russian servicemen equip an Iskander tactical missile system at the Army-2015 international military-technical forum in Kubinka, outside Moscow, in 2015. *Radio Free Europe: **With Fraying U.S.-Russian Ties Comes Fraying Arms Control* WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Congress is moving decisively to start dismantling some of the bedrock agreements of U.S.-Russian arms control, reflecting the dangerous state of relations between Washington and Moscow and raising the specter of a new arms race. In a series of measures attached to the proposed $696 billion defense budget for 2018, Republican-...more »

Kashana Cauley writes comedic bits for Trevor Noah. And yesterday, he wrote a decidedly *not* comedic OpEd for the *NY Times*, Why Millennials Should Lead the Next Labor Movement. When he was growing up, his dad was a union guy on the assembly line at an auto factory down in what is now Paul Ryan's congressional district. Cauley recalls that his dad's work "regularly sent him to the hospital for surgeries to drain extra fluid from his knees. But those procedures were covered by union-negotiated medical insurance, and the time he had to miss work for them was handled by union-negot...more »

The Fraser Institute's recent Global Petroleum Survey 2016, it's tenth annually survey of petroleum industry executives and other management, looks at a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction analysis of barriers to investment in oil and gas exploration and production. A total of 96 jurisdictions were included in this year's analysis, accounting for 75 percent of global oil and gas production and 66 percent of global oil and gas reserves. Let's start by looking at the topics covered in the survey; respondents were asked to indicate how each factor influenced their company's decision to inves...more »

Children have been cheated out of an exciting artistic experience due to pressure from the Israel lobby. The post MIAMI: Local officials force children out of performance with Roger Waters appeared first on The Duran.

As intense fighting continues in and around Damascus, these Russian journalists decided to put humanity first. The post BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY: Russian journalists aid wounded Syrian soldiers (VIDEO) appeared first on The Duran.

The move shows a commitment to a fraternal nation and could help to resolve the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh in the south Caucuses. The post Russia ratifies joint military agreement with Armenia appeared first on The Duran.

Dr Michael Crawford has written a response to the Finkel Report. From the introduction: “I have read your recent report with interest. Over about half a century I have observed that government reports are sometimes dishonest, ideological, obfuscatory, authoritarian, bureaucratised, wanting in courage, illogical and sometimes downright stupid. “I have to salute you sir. Your […]

Whoa Nelly! Now THAT'S some batshit crazy for you! The guy's name is Mark Taylor, and he calls himself the "Firefigher Prophet." (And You KNOW sell described prophets are always to be trusted.) Here is the breakdown courtesy of Right Wing Watch: *“Divine justice is being poured out right now,” Taylor said. “3,000 elite pedophiles have been arrested since the inauguration, but that’s not a whole lot of common knowledge, people don’t understand that because they’ve had a 100 percent media blackout on it.” * *Taylor said that thousands of well-known, high-ranking figures have been a...more »

"For them to pick me to represent the Native American community and even my tribe, it's an honor," she said. Russell was featured June 22 in Allure, a women’s beauty magazine whose monthly circulation sits at more than 1.1 million people. Her father bought a copy at an Atlanta, Ga. airport. Russell’s picture in the magazine, taken by Lauren Ward, shows her in a field behind her house in a white top, and floral dress and shawl. Three of her horses are nearby and – though it’s hidden behind her – she also brought a bucket of oats to feed them. The article, written by the magazine s...more »

*Kris Osborn* *Security, * And why it won't be retired soon. *Many lawmakers, observers, veterans, analysts, pilots and members of the military have been following the unfolding developments regarding the Air Force’s plans for the A-10. Citing budgetary reasons, Air Force leaders had said they planned to begin retiring its fleet of A-10s as soon as this year. Some Air Force personnel maintained that other air assets such as the F-16 and emerging F-35 multi-role stealth fighter would be able to fill the mission gap and perform close air support missions once the A-10 retired.* *...more »

Just before the March ceremony to bestow the coveted Leibniz Prize, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) received some disturbing allegations. An anonymous tipster accused one of the 10 scientists slotted to receive the award, materials scientist Britta Nestler, of misconduct. So the DFG held the ceremony on March 15, but suspended Nestler’s award. Four […] The post Leibniz Prize belatedly awarded to scientist cleared of misconduct appeared first on Retraction Watch.

*Let them lie...* STORM media reported this week that China is recruiting the most basic level of politicians in Taiwan, the Lizhang (里長) . Lizhang are the neighborhood chiefs/precinct captains, who in the old days monitored the population's political activities. Today they have morphed into the gophers at the bottom of the political order, bringing local requests like fixing broken streetlights to the attention of higher authorities, and handing down official communications, like surveys or election forms. Beijing has been working on this for a couple of years, apparently. The Ch...more »

Published on Jul 12, 2017 One month after Texas Democratic Rep. Al Green grandstanded on the floor “I do not do this for political purposes,” a second Democrat has now formally introduced his own article of impeachment against Trump. California Rep Brad Sherman follows the same path as Green, accusing the president of obstructing justice […]

President Tsai Ing-wen: Tonight, together with everyone that cares about human rights in China, we mourn the tragic passing of Liu Xiaobo. I want to pay my highest respect to this tireless advocate for human rights. I also wish to express my deepest condolences to his family, particularly Ms. Liu Xia who is currently still under house arrest. In 2010, Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. At the ceremony, the attention of the whole world was drawn on the empty chair. Sadly, he will never have a chance to reclaim his seat. In “No Enemies, No Hatred,” he once said “I firmly ...more »

Most lionesses would kill a baby leopard as they are direct competition in the food chain, but this attentive mother has taken in this tiny spotted cub. Wildlife experts say this particular inter-species suckling has never been seen before. Mother Nosikitok was found with the little cub around a kilometre from her den where her own cubs were hidden in Tanzania's Ngorongoro Wildlife Conservation Area. As well as nursing her adopted baby, five-year-old mother Nosikitok has three small cubs of her own to feed who were born around June 28. Like this adorable leopard cub they are ar...more »

Naval expansion and hi-technology are at the centre of the plans while the standing army will be reduced in size. The post China embarks on military modernisation programme appeared first on The Duran.

DAMASCUS, SYRIA (0:00 P.M.) – On Thursday, the largest coalition of Islamist groups in southern Syria said they refused to participate in a US-Russian brokered cessation of hostilities stretching across Quneitra, Daraa and western Sweida. After releasing a long statement on the matter, the ‘Death over Humiliation’ operations room that was formed in February to […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

*"Which Is Worse? America or France?"* by Bill Bonner ‘Which is worse? America or France?’ The question must be put in context. We were invited to dinner with local farmers last night. Jean-Yves and Arlette live in a modest house in the nearby town - an efficient and cozy place built about 25 years ago. They’ve added a solarium to the back, where we had dinner. Arlette operates a dairy farm left to her by her parents. Jean-Yves runs a cattle and cereal farm that was in his family. A son and his wife moved into the farmhouse in Jean-Yves’ place. Anticipating retirement, he and his w...more »

The phrase “follow the money” became a part of investigative journalism in the 1970s. When we follow the money that’s involved with governments, food companies, Big Pharma, media and Healthcare operators, it’s easy to see why all five groups want to keep us fat and sick. No one makes money when people are healthy. Think […] The post How Governments, Food Companies, Big Pharma, Media and Healthcare Operators Keep Us Fat and Sick appeared first on The Drs. Wolfson.

This is really good news and readily applied as well. Considering how extensive the vagus nerve system is, it is possible that we can now do much more to avoid nerve damage. The surgeon can see the event in real time and is no longer flying blind. All good.. *Public Release: 1-Jul-2017* * Mount Sinai researchers develop technique to monitor laryngeal & vagus nerves in surgery * *The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine* * http://www.feedspot.com/?dadi=1#feed/f_32127/article/4066363405?dd=431151716938741* *In a first-of-its-kind study, Mount Sinai researchers...more »

We already have the fleet or at least the beginnings of such a fleet so it makes perfect sense to now set this up. You can see here though just how little has been let out. I expect this will set up and remain quiet fro a while yet. I cannot wait to see how the USN fits into this. *House panel votes to split Air Force, create new U.S. Space Corps * *By Jared Serbu | @jserbuWFED June 29, 2017 1:51* * https://federalnewsradio.com/defense-news/2017/06/house-panel-votes-to-split-air-force-create-new-u-s-space-corps/* *As part of its version of the 2018 Defense authorization bill,...more »

What has just been observed is wonderful stealth technology on a boomerang shaped craft. Wow and surely one of ours as well. It is something we would cook up in order to operate in our atmosphere. An alien would hardly bother. We already understand the gravity ships and i expect that this tech will be in these smaller craft as well. It would allow a high performance craft to actually land. All good stuff. Makes all those other craft obsolete and likely designed to smoke the world. also recent wind tunnel tests are surely from work done a long time ago as it is is new stuf...more »

A real prophecy here and a set of sound rules for operating a council*. * The phiilospghy espoused here is also sound as well. This is an interesting read and surprising as it is cobbled together from material missing and recreated. It is noteworthy that this mass of material was the preserve of the learned as was the Hebrew bible and even the Christian bible as well. It was the protestant reformation and its insistence on literacy that made all this and now even the Kolbrin a public resource. .. *CHAPTER TEN * *THE ROLLS OF RECORD - 4 * *Now, even in the days of Hoskiah ...more »

From Jenna Orkin China Deploys Troops To Its First Overseas Military Base In Africa How to Plant a Tree in the Desert Why did the DOJ abruptly settle Russian money laundering case with attorney at center of collusion? Putin Wake-Up Call video. A hated, mile-long highway shows an overlooked problem with America's infrastructure — but it could soon come crumbling down Baltimore Citizens Urge "Nobody Kill Anybody" Ceasefire At The Start Of August Infowars, Breitbart, Drudge Could Soon Face An FEC 'Inquisition' Over Russian "Collusion" Afghan girls team will be allowed into the U...more »

BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:30 A.M.) – Israeli police shot three Palestinians dead during a shootout on the Temple Mount in occupied East Jerusalem on Friday, after the men reportedly injured three Israelis in a gun attack near the holy site. The bodies of the suspects were carried away by ZAKA voluntary community emergency response team van […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:10 A.M.) – Chief coordinator of the Syrian opposition’s High Negotiations Committee (HNC) Riad Hijab held a coordination meeting with members of group’s negotiating team in Geneva on Thursday night, where he accused the Syrian government and its allies of slowing the peace process as they do not want a political solution. “Unfortunately, […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:00 A.M.) – The Syrian Arab Air Force (SyAAF) carried out a multitude of airstrikes over east Damascus today, targeting the Islamist rebel positions inside the ‘Ayn Tarma and Jobar suburbs. A variety of Syrian fighter jets began the day by launching airstrikes over the ‘Ayn Tarma Triangle, paving the way for a […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

BEIRUT, LEBANON (9:00 A.M.) – For the first time since 2000, Friday prayers have been cancelled at the Temple Mount holy site in Jerusalem, the Israeli police announced moments ago. This move by the Israeli authorities comes just an hour after a shooting took place near the gates of the Temple Mount. As a result […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

(Reuters) – Three attackers opened fire near Jerusalem’s holiest site on Friday, wounding three Israelis, two of them critically, before they were killed, Israeli police said. Army Radio said the shooting took place near the sacred site known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount. Police said the three attackers were […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

Last year, I discussed efforts by the extreme left-wing jihadists at Harvard to ban the single-sex clubs. "Are you now, or have you ever been a member of single-sex organizations?" students are gonna be asked starting from this year. When first policies to harass Jews in Nazi Germany were established in Nazi Germany, the path towards gas chambers was straightforward and only took a few years. Harvard's trajectory towards eradication of some basic values of the Western civilization has been immensely speedy, too. Lots of things got much worse in the recent year. Two days ago, The Har...more »

RT is the smoking gun to prove Russian meddled in US elections. The post PEAK STUPIDITY! US Congressman says RT meddled in US elections, now Russia must be punished (Video) appeared first on The Duran.

Trump Advisor Sebastian Gorka destroys CNN over ratings on Anderson Cooper. The post CNN’s Anderson Cooper crushed by Sebastian Gorka, once again Ukraine US election meddling exposed (Video) appeared first on The Duran.

"Many people don't fear a hell after this life and that's because hell is on this earth, in this life. In this life there are many forms of hell that people walk through, sometimes for a day, sometimes for years, sometimes it doesn't end. The kind of hell that doesn't burn your skin; but burns your soul. The kind of hell that people can't see; but the flames lap at your spirit. Heaven is a place on earth, too! It's where you feel freedom, where you're not afraid. No more chains. And you hear your soul laughing." - C. JoyBell C.

Understanding what is happening to Thailand helps observers understand how the US undermined and destabilized Libya, Syria, and beyond. *July 14, 2017 *(Tony Cartalucci - LD) - The US recently granted Thai national and fugitive Jom Petchpradab asylum, paving the way for a possible green card for the political agitator and supporter of ousted Thai prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. *Image: Petchpradab, (right) interviews Thaksin Shinawatra (left), a mass murderer and sponsor of terrorism deposed from power in Thailand amid a 2006 military coup. Petchpradab is a consistent and eager...more »

Amidst the raging chaos in modern advanced nations, aggravated or rendered more visible by emerging technologies, an occasional individual person stands out, now notably Reality Winner. Her Wikipedia page begins: “Reality Leigh Winner (born December 1991) is an American intelligence specialist employed by Pluribus International Corporation. Winner was arrested on June 3, 2017, on suspicion of leaking an intelligence report about Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections to the news website The Intercept. The report suggested that Russian hackers attacked a U.S. vot...more »

*Published on May 11, 2011* Song: Gidda Beaivvas Artist: Angelin Tytöt Album: The New Voice of the North *NOTE:* I do not take credit for any of these pictures—rights to these photos belong to the original photographers and Angelit.

HMS Queen Elizabeth, one of two new aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy, leaving the Rosyth dockyard near Edinburgh to begin her sea worthiness trials on 26 June Royal Navy *The Independent: **UK's most expensive military assets 'increasingly vulnerable' to cheap missile attacks by Russia and China* *RUSI report finds attack could 'at least disable' new British aircraft carrier costing over £3bn * British military assets including the new HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier are increasingly vulnerable to cheap missile attacks from Russia and China, warns a new report calling for...more »

This article by someone who's worked with immigrants for many years http://nationalinterest.org/feature/ive-worked-refugees-decades-europes-afghan-crime-wave-mind-21506 is profoundly depressing. Here's an extract but do read the whole piece: 'This brings us to a third, more compelling and quite disturbing theory—the one that my Afghan friend, the court translator, puts forward. On the basis of his hundreds of interactions with these young men in his professional capacity over the past several years, he believes to have discovered that they are motivated by a deep and abiding contem...more »

US counter-ISIS special presidential envoy, Brett McGurk. Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters *Joel Gehrke, Washington Examiner:* *Top counter-ISIS official: Middle East allies favor 'engagement with Russia'* US allies in the Middle East want President Trump to continue "engagement with Russia," according to a top counter-Islamic State official at the State Department. "Engagement with Russia on Syria is something that nearly all of our partners here in the region have encouraged, including our friends here in Iraq," Brett McGurk, the special presidential envoy who has been leading the coun...more »

There's one passage in this Breitbart report http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/07/13/four-thousand-african-migrants-picked-up-off-libyan-coast-shuttled-to-italy/ on immigration from Africa into Italy that caught my eye : 'Based on statements received at the time of landing in Italy, the 2017 migrants home countries are Nigeria (14,504), Bangladesh (8,268), Guinea (7,844), Ivory Coast (7,455), Gambia (5,022), Senegal (4,914), Mali (4,862), Eritrea (4,553), Morocco (4,190) and Sudan (4,051).' The African countries are not all war torn but what's that country from where the second...more »

Published on Jul 11, 2017 Three years after Israel’s devastating war on Gaza in the summer of 2014, the families who lost their loved ones during the attacks are demanding justice. Press TV’s correspondent Ashraf Shannon brings us the details. “In 2001, Dr. Ariella Oppenheim, of Hebrew University, a biologist, published the first extensive study […]

Published on Jul 13, 2017 While speaking of frivolous federal agencies, Bob Barr and Alex Jones comment on the TSA’s passenger search policy where children and senior citizens are selected for pat downs rather than military aged men. end

Article is largely US-NATO war propaganda. US Leads 25,000 Troops in Drills to Protect Europe from Russia in Black Sea by ZOIE O’BRIEN, http://www.express.co.uk/ MAJOR military exercises are taking place in Eastern Europe as more than 25,000 NATO troops from 20 allied and partner countries descended on Bulgaria. – While nuclear testing and global terror threatens the […]

VISA takes its War on Cash to US Retailers by Wolf Richter, http://wolfstreet.com/ Forget “legal tender.” “We’re focused on putting cash out of business,” Visa’s new CEO Al Kelly said on June 22 at Visa Investor Day. Pushing consumers into digital and electronic payments is the company’s “number-one growth lever.” Visa has been dogged by the stubborn […]

I am not convince that the Donald is telling the truth. Hitlery means thermonuclear WW3. – Published on Jul 13, 2017 Ever since his election victory, Donald Trump’s faced media allegations that Vladimir Putin was responsible for putting him in the White House. But now the president has raised more than a few eye brows, […]

The “FTT” is just a euphemism for a Europe wide tax on citizens. If you were to read the details, IMO, there will not just be financial transaction taxes but also personal income tax, property tax, company taxes …. It is for the implementation of a United States of Europe: a 10 nations federation/government.

The “FTT” is just a euphemism for a Europe wide tax on citizens. If you were to read the details, IMO, there will not just be financial transaction taxes but also personal income tax, property tax, company taxes …. It is for the implementation of a United States of Europe: a 10 nations federation/government.

Visa Trying to Bribe Merchants to Stop Taking Cash by Yves Smith, http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/ The war on cash is escalating. A big driver isn’t central banks who want to be able to inflict negative interest rates on savers, or Treasuries who see cash transactions as hiding revenues from their tax collectors, but the payment networks that want to […]

Nomi Prins: Easy Money Policy Allows for Another Crisis by CRAIG WILSON, https://dailyreckoning.com/ Nomi Prins joined The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo to discuss the banking landscape and state of financial regulations in the Trump era. The central bank historian and financial expert also took a deep dive into the shifting relations between the United States and […]

Illuminist social engineers rule this world by subtlety and deception. AP Tells Reporters to Never Use the Term “Pro-Life” by MICAIAH BILGER, http://www.lifenews.com/ For evidence of pro-abortion bias in the mainstream media, people need look no further than the AP Stylebook, a widely-used journalism manual. – The book is a publication of the news wire the Associated […]

*"Weekly News Wrap-Up 7/14/2017"* By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com "There is still no there there with the Russian collusion story in its latest version featuring Donald Trump Jr. This looks more like an episode of “Punk’d,” but there is no crime and no treason according to renowned lawyer Alan Dershowitz. What this really is all about is a fight between good and evil. It’s that simple. The Deep State and the MSM are doing everything they can to destroy Trump and his team. This is why President Trump held a prayer meeting at the White House where ministers laid hands on him in a pr...more »

#POTUSinFrance in Photos: https://t.co/6efZkihXfM pic.twitter.com/xg53CawtFZ — The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 13, 2017 "She's in such good physical shape" - @POTUS tells @EmmanuelMacron as the two couples chatted in Parishttps://t.co/Ixho3UpQzz pic.twitter.com/zKf2JKZC8B — BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) July 13, 2017 IS - what next? https://t.co/kKJob4Lvvs — BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) July 14, 2017 In pictures: a look back at the life of Nobel Peace laureate Liu Xiaobo, who fought for democracy in Chinahttps://t.co/SkxqQV55tM — Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) July 14, 2017

*CNN:* *US troops 'more exposed to enemy' in Raqqa than in Mosul* (CNN)US military advisers helping Kurdish and Arab fighters combat ISIS in Raqqa, Syria are "more exposed to enemy contact" than they were during the battle for Mosul, the spokesman for the US-led coalition said Wednesday. "They are much more exposed to enemy contact than those in Iraq," US Army Col. Ryan Dillon told reporters at the Pentagon, referring to US and coalition troops that are accompanying local allies in the fight for Raqqa, ISIS' de-facto capital. Coalition artillery and aircraft have been supporting t...more »

By John Stone The British government have announced the addition to the infant vaccine schedule of a Hepatitis B vaccine from August 1, as one component of GSK’s controversial hexavalent vaccine Infanrix Hexa which also includes DTaP, polio and HiB....

*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *Eiffel Tower Flyby* The Thunderbirds, the Air Force’s air demonstration squadron, fly by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, July 11, 2017, to prepare for Bastille Day celebrations in the city. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Christopher Boitz

*and another huge difference between classical and quantum physics* Bell's theorem is often hyped as a very important result about the foundations of quantum mechanics. There are two basic problems with this assertion: the theorem isn't a theorem about quantum mechanics at all; and it is not important. It is a theorem about local classical theories (those that were ruled out around 1925) and its claimed importance – the proven difference between classical and quantum theories – must be trivial to see for every intelligent schoolkid. Here, I try to show you another elementary diffe...more »

BEIRUT, LEBANON (5:15 A.M.) – Footage shows helicopters, allegedly from the US military, flying over Raqqa region, on Thursday. Some foreign fighters, based in Raqqa and combating the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) have recently claimed that the USA is providing forces on the ground with military assistance, including air cover and munitions. In […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

BEIRUT, LEBANON (4:30 A.M.) – A fierce battle broke-out between the two largest jihadist forces in Syria, Thursday, as two former allies clashed in the Idlib Governorate time of Killi. The heavy clashes began when a large Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham convoy began moving towards a Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham base in Killi; this resulted in the […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

BEIRUT, LEBANON (4:05 A.M.) – The Syrian Minister of Defense, General Fahd Jassim Al-Freijj, made a special visit to the southeastern countryside of Damascus to meet with the army on Thursday. According to the Syrian Ministry of Defense, General Al-Freijj toured the recently captured territory of southeastern Damascus and eastern Al-Sweida. General Al-Freijj also delivered […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

*Military.com/Stars and Stripes:* *Tal Afar Next in Pressing ISIS After Mosul Victory: Townsend* Tal Afar will be targeted next in the roll-up of remaining ISIS enclaves in Iraq following victory in the terror group's last major stronghold of Mosul, Army Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend said Tuesday. Townsend, the U.S. coalition commander for Iraq and Syria, said he could not confirm reports that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who proclaimed the creation of a "caliphate" in Mosul's Al Nuri grand mosque in June 2014, had been killed. "I don't have a clue, simple as that," he said of th...more »

On Thursday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that federal prosecutors charged more than 400 people (doctors, nurses and pharmacists) for taking part in medical fraud and opioid scams that totaled $1.3 BILLION in fraudulent billing. In total, 412 individuals will be prosecuted by his office in what’s been called the “largest health care fraud takedown operation

Putin missed one. Trump very narrowly lost New Hampshire to Clinton 348,526 (47.62%) to 345,790 (47.25%). The first in the nation primary should have been a warning for Clinton; Bernie cleaned her clock-- 152,193 (60.14%) to 95,355 (37.68%). New Hampshire Democrats were infuriated when Wasserman Schultz's delegate-rigging system awarded that massive Bernie victory just 16 delegates to Hillary's 15. Many vowed they wouldn't vote for Wasserman Schultz's candidate in the general-- and they didn't. But the primary day result I want to draw your attention to-- the Bernie Woulda Won numb...more »

Human Rights Watch said it had verified the location where the video was filmed. Facebook *Sydney Morning Herald:* *In Mosul, Iraq 'collectively punishing' IS families, 'beating, killing' fighters* Erbil: A number of Iraqi military personnel have been suspended and an investigation launched after Human Rights Watch has condemned videos circulating on social media purportedly showing Iraqi forces killing and beating suspected Islamic State fighters in Mosul. The videos were posted to Facebook earlier this week, a day after Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared "total victor...more »

Bethune-Cookman University has appointed its general counsel, retired judge Hubert Grimes, to take on the position of interim president in the absence of its former leader, Dr. Edison O. Jackson. Grimes also serves as the director for the Center for Law and Social Justice at B-CU. Grimes’s election comes after Jackson, the university’s sixth president, […]

As he exited his post this summer as president of Maryland’s Bowie State University, Dr. Mickey L. Burnim took a pause to reflect on his more than two decades at the helm of two state institutions — each for more than 10 years.

Students with disabilities deserve access to higher education to achieve their dreams and goals like everyone else. That is the message several panelists delivered Thursday at a session on the Improving Access to Higher Education Act.

*AFP: **Mali conflict spreading to Burkina Faso, Niger: UN* The conflict in Mali is spilling over to Burkina Faso and Niger, with a significant surge of attacks by extremist groups in border areas over past months, the UN envoy for West Africa warned Thursday. Mohamed Ibn Chambas said deadly attacks along border areas were having an impact on the local economy in the northern provinces of Burkina Faso and western regions of Niger. "In the Sahel, persistent instability in Mali is spilling over to Burkina Faso and Niger, with deadly attacks along border areas," Chambas told the UN S...more »

*July 14, 2017* (Ulson Gunnar - NEO) - US President Donald Trump's support came in no small part from those Americans who believe terrorism, and more specifically, "Islamic" terrorism pose an existential threat to the United States and the wider Western World. It is curious then that President Trump's first trip abroad was to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the sociocultural source code of the very extremism infecting both the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) as well as the wider, global extremism it inspires and fuels everywhere from Southeast Asia, western China and even in the streets ...more »

*Dave Majumdar* *Security, Europe* It won't be modernized. The Russian Navy will repair its sole aircraft carrier *Admiral Kuznetsov*, but the massive vessel will not be upgraded or modernized in any meaningful way. Instead, Russia will focus on getting the carrier back into the fleet as soon as possible when the ship goes into overhaul next year in 2018. “It is a ship repair with replacement of some equipment." Sergei Vlasov, director general of Nevsky PKB told the TASS news agency. "Essentially, there is no modernization.” It will take the shipyard between two to three years ...more »

*Dave Majumdar* *Security, Europe* But Moscow might regret it. NATO member Turkey has reportedly reached a preliminary agreement with Moscow to purchase Russia’s fearsome S-400 air and missile defense system. The agreement is not final, but the deal—if it goes through—could be yet another indication that Ankara is starting to shift its alignment towards the Kremlin. Further, the agreement might also be a signal from Ankara aimed at the European Union. The EU, in previous years, had recognized Turkey as a candidate for membership into that bloc, but the 28-member union voted to ...more »

*Enea Gjoza* *Economics, Asia* [image: Spectacual wide-lens nightview over the Yuzhong skyline in Chongqing, China. Wikimedia Commons] And Beijing is staking it all on the Belt and Road Initiative. China’s growing power has generated considerable angst within the United States and its allies, who fear an expansionist China might seek to upend the regional order. However, the more interesting, often ignored, story in Chinese foreign policy is that of economic institution building. China wants a say in the global order reflective of its size and wealth—and prefers to achieve this ...more »

*Izabella Tabarovsky* *Politics, Europe* [image: U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he gives a public speech at Krasinski Square in Warsaw, Poland July 6, 2017. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel] By stressing Poland’s “double victimhood,” Trump fed an ongoing dispute in the Polish politics of memory. When German chancellor Willy Brandt fell to his knees in front of the monument to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising during his 1970 visit to the Polish capital, Władysław Gomułka, the first secretary of Poland’s Communist Party, is said to have hissed, “Wrong monument!” In Gomułka’s view, if Bran...more »

*Daniel L. Davis* *Security, Middle East* [image: Iraqi Special Operations Forces react after a car bomb exploded during an operation to clear the al-Andalus district of Islamic State militants, in Mosul, Iraq, January 16, 2017. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed/File photo] U.S. leaders seem to believe that America can kill its way out of this mess—and that’s totally wrong. The battle for Mosul is all but completed, and any question about the strategic significance of its conclusion has yet to be answered by military leaders. That being so, it is time to start asking the difficult questions...more »

*Milton Ezrati* *Politics, Europe* [image: French Election: Celebrations for Macron's victory at The Louvre. Flickr / Laurie Shaull] Macron has settled on an expedited process to implement his labor and tax reforms. Emmanuel Macron is nothing if not ambitious. True to his campaign promises, he has put forward bold proposals to reform France’s stifling regulatory and tax regimes. Since his party has won a handsome majority in the assembly, prospects for his effort look good right now. Eventual public acceptance remains an open question, however, and it has been street protests mo...more »

F-22 *Investors Business Daily:** How A Small Drone Nearly Took Out An F-22 Raptor* WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Air Force is requesting more authority to deal with drones affecting operations near bases after a near-miss with an F-22 last week. At an Air Force Association breakfast Tuesday, Gen. Mike Holmes, commander of Air Combat Command, said a pilot in a Lockheed Martin (LMT) F-22 had a "near collision with a small UAS" while trying to land. He said that a hobbyist was most likely flying the unmanned aerial system, but warned "you never know." "Imagine a world where somebody flies...more »

“Though the movie may contain compelling cinematography and engrossing performances, as history,” “Lawrence of Arabia” “receives a failing grade,” renowned media critic Jack Shaheen wrote. “Throughout, the theme of cultural domination prevails—the civilized British conquering civilized folks.” Shaheen continued, “After all, the movie concerns a brave Englishman, not a valiant Arab. The post A Tribute To Jack Shaheen And His Groundbreaking Work On ‘Reel Bad Arabs’ appeared first on Shadowproof.

The exploitation of progressive rhetoric for the sake of advancing careers, building platforms, and launching hollow political campaigns has become part and parcel of the liberal grift. It is a long con game several are good at playing, as they boast of “resistance” but have no road map for what The post Role Playing The Resistance: How Liberals Grift Movements In The Age Of Trump appeared first on Shadowproof.

Last weekend, we looked at the enormity of the horror Vladimir Putin represents. A Maddow clip I embedded, showing the slavish obeisance with which a growing number of poorly educated so-called "Christian conservative" Trumpists in red state America treat Putin, was removed from YouTube by MSNBC. Yesterday Think Progress' senior religion reporter, Jack Jenkins, reported about this bizarre emerging alliance between Putin and Trump’s God squad. Treason is very much in the air. As evidence continues to emerge of Russia’s alleged attempts at the direction of Vladimir Putin to disrup...more »

*BBC:* *Putin's mystery passenger sends the internet into a frenzy* Russian social media has been abuzz with discussions of President Putin's "mysterious passenger". Military TV channel Zvezda has shown a video of Putin at a sacred monastery in Valaam, Russia, opening a car door for a passenger with what looks like a red bag or dress. The president then quickly shuts the door, and so the passenger is not revealed. People have been inventing theories as to the identity of the person. *Read more* .... *WNU editor:* Normally .... you do not bring your girl-friend or wife to *the V...more »

Spokesman for the Iraqi Ministry of Interior Brigadier General Saad Maan said that “there is a lot of fabrication and rumours and false news” regarding reports of violations against human rights and abuse of power in the battle of Tal Afar, speaking at the Pentagon in Washington DC, Thursday. Maan said “If there was any […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

BEIRUT, LEBANON (3:20 A.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) targeted a Free Syrian Army (FSA) transport, Wednesday, that was carrying the commander of Regiment 107 in the Dara’a Governorate. Using a roadside bomb, the Syrian Arab Army perfectly timed the attack that was to take place along the Sariyah Road in the southern outskirts […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

(IRNA) Vice President for Scientific and Technological Affairs Sorena Sattari expressed sorrow on Thursday for the US government’s blocking of an Iranian scientist from entering the country, saying such acts would harm those who are to benefit from science. ‘Unfortunately, Iranian researcher, Mohsen Dehnavi who had legally entered the US to spend his sabbatical at […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

BEIRUT, LEBANON (2:00 A.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army (SAA), backed by the paramilitary group ‘Desert Hawks’ and assisted by the National Defence Forces (NDF) and members of the Liwa Al-Quds brigade, made major gains in Eastern Hama in the battle against the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS; formerly ISIS/ISIL), Thursday. The pro-government forces reportedly recaptured the […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

BEIRUT, LEBANON (1:30 A.M.) – Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (Hashd Al-Sha’abi) will be participating in the upcoming Hawija offensive, the commander of this paramilitary group, Ahmad Al-Assadi, claimed during a press conference on Thursday. Assadi stated that the Popular Mobilization Units will be a “main partner” in the upcoming battle at Hawija and all future […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

BEIRUT, LEBANON (11:55 P.M.) – It is no secret that the Islamic State (ISIL) is struggling to hold ground in Syria; however, their recent setbacks across the country have now threatened their very existence in their former strongholds like Al-Raqqa and Deir Ezzor. On Thursday, the Islamic State found themselves in a world of trouble […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

Search This Blog

Translate

Microsoft Translate

opit or oldephartte's shared items

About Me

I've been 'around' for a few years now, pursuing the shifting goal of a sharable home-made surfers resource site focused on ease of use and variety of mostly adult ( whoa : I didn't say prurient ) content.